Cooling container or so-called &#34;dry container&#34; for ice cream and similar products to be maintained cold for many hours



July 117, 1923. 11,452,456)

J. E. GRAHAM COOLING CONTAINER 0R SOCALLED "DRY CONTAINER" F'OR CREAM, AND

SIMILAR PRODUCTS TO BE MAINTAINED cow FOR MAN ouns 7 Filed April 24, 1922 2 I 26 f 24 F1 1,;

II77; A /4 l 5 /4 3 1 /a I 29 l i I Y 27 V/ 26 N 620 I i 32 -5;}: E l 3 l a 2/r f r g; F: 2 l i I I g i m as 15. Graham.

Patented July 17, 1923.

UNHTED STATES mains n. en

COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

' COOLING CDNTAINER OR SID-CALLED DR-Y CONTAINER FOR ICE CREAM AND SIMI- LAR PRODUCTS TO BE MAINTAINED COLD FOR MANY HOURS.

Application filed April 24, 1922.- Serial No. 556,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newtonville, in the county of lvliddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooling Containers or So-Called Dry Containers for Ice Cream and Similar Products to Be Maintained Cold for Many Hours, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is more particularly an improvement on the type of container described and illustrated in the U. S. patent to Elihu Thomson, 1,369,367, dated Feb. 22, 1921, and further illustrated and described in a subsequent form in the pending U. '8. application of Elihu Thomson, Serial No. 3,991, filed Oct. 1, 1920. y

The object of the present invention is to so organize the construction and relation of the effective parts in such type of dry containers as to render them readily assembled for use at all times, light in weight, relatively cheap to manufacture as compared with their predecessors, and correlated in such a manner that there shall be a minimum of separate or accessory parts while in use.

One particular object of my invention is to provide a cover for the container which shall have attached thereto or integral therewith a carrying means for the cooling drum, and the construction of which will allow the ready removal and insertion of the cover and cooling drum as a single unit, and at the same time the ready removal of the cooling drum from the cover for refreezing of the former or replacement beneath the cover after freezing or refreezing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a suitable fastening means for the cover which will retain the latter closed in place when desired, but which can be opened with facility and yet be simple and cheap to manufacture.

My invention will be more clearly understood by referring more specifically to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents in side elevation and partial vertical section an assembly of my improved dry container; Fig, 2 repre sents a top plan view of the cover therefor and retaining catch; Fig. 3 represents a sec tion on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and illustrating more clearly the retaining means attached to the 4 cover for holding the coo-ling drum or drums Fig. 4 represents the relation of the cover catch and cover as Viewed on a part of the circumference of the cover or an arcuate portion thereof; Fig. 5 represents a modification of the cover'and retaining means for the cooling drum in which two drums are shown suspended beneath the coverinstead of one as in Fig. 1. 4

Referring more specifically to the various figures of the drawing, 1 represents an outer container for the whole, preferably made of a light, moisture resisting material, yet one which possesses sutlicient mechanical strength to meet the severe exactions of actual service. 2, 3 and 4 represent reenforcing bands for the drum 1, also made of the same material as 1, and glued to the said drum on the exterior thereof; 5 represents a block of wood of suitable thickness which serves as a reenforcing bottom for the drum 1, having a suitable cutaway portion at 6 in order that the drum may seat thereon. The bottom ree'nforcing band 4 embraces the bottom and sides of the container, that is, its inner bottom surface forms a seat for the block 5, and it embraces the lower portion of the drum 1. 7 represents an inner liner or shell which may be of the same material as that of which the outer container is made, although not necessarily, as thin galvanized iron may be employed. Between the sides of this inner sholland the outer shell or drum 1 is a filler of a material which is a good non-conductor for heat. In this case I have chosen to use cork, represented at 8, for the filling material. On top of the wooden block 5 is another block of wood or other non-conductor for heat 9, upon which the inner shell or liner 7 rests. 1.0 represents a cork pad or other suitable heat insulator which rests on the bottom of the shell or liner 7 and upon which, in turn, the'ice cream can 11, or receptacle containing the product to be maintained cold, rests. This product in the receptacle 11 is represented by the numeral 12.

The construction of the top of my improved container will now be described. A wooden top-seat 18 is provided at the top,-

of the container, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This top-seat is recessed slightly at the sides thereof sufficientto allow the sides of the drum 1 to lie in the recesses thus formed.

AM, 0F NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GLACIFER v v 1,462,455G

Before the container'parts are assembled, however, the shell or liner 7 is turned over at the top and secured to the wooden topseat by means of suitable Wood-screws 14. A suitable metal band 15 is now securedby screws or otherwise to the top-seat 13, and thus securing the drum 1, liner 7, and topseat 13 all together. A suitable cover 16 is now dropped into place in the top of the container and allowed to rest on the seat 1'? of the top-seat 13. As the construction of the cover comprises one of the most novel and important features of my invention, 1 will describe it in detail. A. wooden disc 16 is provided depending from which on the under side thereof and attached thereto is another block 17 of wood or other suitable non-conducting material. This block 17 is secured to the disc 16 by means of bolts 18. rlecurely attached by the same bolts to the I block 17 and suspended from the under side thereof is a cage comprised of the members 19 and 20 for the reception of a receptacle or cooling drum 21 containing a partially frozen solution or mixture 22 having an expansion space 23 above said partially frozen mixture. The relation of the cage or cradle members 19 and 20 with reference to the cooling drum 21 and other correlated parts is best illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows these parts as viewed from the bottom thereof, Fig. 3 being a section on the line 33 Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow. A bolt 22 and nut 23 secure the cage or cradle members together in such a man ner that the member 20 is free to be rotated about 23 as a pivot. This enables the cooling drum or box 21 to be inserted or withdrawn from the cage or cradle by simply turning the member 20 so that it will be in line with the member 19, the diameter of member 20, of course, being slightly less than that of 19, so that when the upright portions of the two members come together those of 20 will be inside those of 19. cooling drum can now be withdrawn or inserted as the case may be, and when inserted, the movable member 20 can be again rotated to the position Fig. 3 and thus the glacifer or cooling drum will be retained in place so that it cannot fall out, no matter in what position the complete dry container or packer may be laid; whether on end, upside down, or on its side. The bolts 18 which Secure together the various parts attached to the cover as above mentioned are preterably inserted through the top member 16 of the cover in a manner to avoid conduction of heat from the outside in. As the metal bolts WOUlCl OlJl'IQIWlSQ be subject to this objection, it is preferable to make suitable depressions as at 2%, 25 in the cover members for the insertion of these bolts and subsequently fill in said depressions or cut away portions with a pitch material or other heat non-conducting material suitable for the purpose and readily applied. Suitable nuts are provided on the ends of the bolts 18 beneath the block 17 for securely holding the cover 16, block 17, and cage 19 in a unitary structure.

The construction as described above provides a means whereby in the manufacture of dry containers or packers for ice cream or similar products to be maintained cold for a .lon time there will be a minimum of loose and dash line position, a strip of steel or other suitable eovencatch of metal having suitable springiness enabling it to be depressed when in the locked position beneath metal locking pieces 27 and 28 fastened to the wooden top-seat 13 by means of wood screws 29'.

The metal pieces 27 and 28 are provided with openings 29 and 30 for the reception of the cover catch 26, and in order to lock the cover, the cover-catch 26 is depremed by the fingers in the openings 29 and 30, and given a slight twist while thus depressed, beneath the locking members 2'? and 28. The cover-catch 26 now occupies the position shown in the full lines at 26 and the cover is securely locked. In order to open the cover again, it becomes necessary to depress the member 26 again with a reverse twist until said member reaches a position opposite the openings 29 and 30. The pressure of the fingers 18 now released and the spring member 26 now occupies the position 26 and the cover with its appendages of cradle and cooling-drum may now be easily removed by removing the whole asa unitary structure.

Suitable carrying handles 31 and 32 are provided for the ready handling by one man of the complete dry container or glaciter by which latter name the type of dry container to which my invention is applielis known in the trade.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5,

this figure illustrates a modification in which two cooling drums ll and 21 may be carried beneath the cover instead of one as shown in Fig. 1.

It will thus be seen that by means of my invention I have provided improvements in details of construction in the manufacture lOii of dry containers which are important and essential to the commercial development of said containers, as heretofore the use of separate or loose parts in the removal of the cover has been a great source of annoyance; also, the difliculty of providing a simple but yet inexpensive locking arrangement.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shownis only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I' claimas new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a dry container for the preservation of products to be maintained cold, such as ice cream and the like, the combination of an outer receptacle, a chamber within said receptacle for the reception of the product, suitable insulation between the outer receptacle and the product the said insulation being characterized by its relative nonconductivity for heat, a cover for the whole, a cooling drum containing a freezable solution for preserving the product in the container cold for a long period of hours, and

means secured to the cover for the reception of the cooling device whereby the cover and said cooling drum may be removed as a single unit from and replaced on the dry container, thus eliminating the need for handling loose parts.

2. In a dry container for the preservation of products to be preserved cold, such as ice cream and the like, the combination of an outer receptacle, a chamber within said rece tacle for the reception of the product, suitable insulation between the outer receptacle and the roducts the said insulation being characterized by its relative non-conductivityfor heat, a cover for theldry container, a cooling drum, and means attached to the inside of the cover for supporting the cooling drum therein in a manner permitting withdrawal and replacement of the cover and drum as a unit, while at the same time permitting of the easy disassembling of the drum from the cover for the purpose of freezing and refreezing said drum and its contained mixture when desired,

3. In a dry container for the preservation of products to be maintained cold, such as ice cream and the like, the combination of an outer receptacle, a chamber Within said receptacle for the reception of the product,

suitable insulation between the outer recap-- ber pivotally secured to said stationary member and movable to be alined with the stationary member, whereby a receptacle containing a refrigerant. may be supported in the cage in a manner to be removed from the cage when both the stationary and mov-' able members are alined and locked in the cage when the movable member is swung at right angles with relation to the stationary member.

4. In a dry container for the preservation of products to be maintained cold, such as ice cream and the like, the combination of an outer receptacle, an inner receptacle constituting a chamber for the reception of the product, a filling of material between the outer receptacle and the inner receptacle the said filling being characterized by its relative non-conductivity for heat, a slab or block of a similar material between the bottom of the inner receptacle and the floor of the outer receptacle, a cover for the container, a block of heat non-conducting material secured to the under side of the cover, a sealed drum partially filled with a freezable, cooling mixture, a carrier for the sealed drum, an adjustable means for the carrier whereby the said sealed drum may be removabl held in place beneath the cover during t e operation, and a means rigidly securing the carrier to the heat nonconductin block attached to the carrier, whereby t e cover, the heat non-conducting block attached thereto, the carrier, and the sealed drum may be taken 0d and] replaced on the dry container at will as a unitary structure.

5. A cover for a dry container for ice cream and the like, a cooling drum suspended beneath said cover, and an adjustable retainer for ermitting the insertion or removal of said cooling drum in relation to the cover as desired.

6. A cover for a dry container for ice cream or other products to be maintained cold, comprising a carrying device securely attached to said cover and dependin below the same, a sealed receptacle contalning a -freezable cooling mixture, and means for op era-ting the carrying device to permit of the retention of the sealed receptacle beneath the cover and of the'removal and replacement of the cover and sealed receptacle as a single or unitary structure in relation to the dry container.

7. A cover for a dry container for ice cream and the like, having attached thereto a carryin device for a receptacle containing a freezab e cooling mixture, and a fastening device on the cover for securely locking the cover and said carrying device to the dry container when the cover is in closed position,

8. In a dry container for the preservation of products to be maintained cold, such as ice cream and the like, the combination of an outer receptacle, a chamber Within said receptacle for the reception of the product suitable insulation between the outer receptacle and the product the said insulation be ing characterized by its relative non-conductivity for heat, a top seat above the nonconducting heat insulation, :1 cover for the dry container the said cover having a re silient blade pivotally mounted on the cover and extending beyond the cover on both ends, so as to engage beneath the top seat, suitable locking devices at opposite sides of the top seat. the said locking devices having an opening into which the blade may be de pressed and given a slight twist to lock the cover and outer receptacle into engagement, a cooling drum containing a freezable soh1- tion for preserving the product in the container cold for a long period of hours, and means secured: to the cover for the reception of the cooling device, whereby the cover and said cooling drum may be removed as a single unit from said drum on the dry container, thus eliminating the need for handling loose parts.

JAMES E. GRAHAM. 

